They were not clear about the jobs they needed to fill and were not clear what they expected from people. There was no training. They just threw stuff at you and you had to land on your feet or be out.

Advice to Management

Get better training for your people and help them in their positions to do their best.

Management does not want to deal with conflict and rather than address a situation buries their heads in the sand. The good ole boys mentiality is alive and well at this company and if you want to move up then become a mangers pet. They turn their head the other way regarding inapproriate behavior and allow repeat offenders to remain there while they lose new employees who don't tolerate it.

Advice to Management

Get your heads out of the sand and wake up to what is going on around you. Value your employees and actively manage. A good manager should be able to address confrontation in a tactful way.

I was able to escape to a better place with my dignity and professional reputation intact.

Cons

This place is a cesspool. Run from any job offers-do not believe anything you are told about opportunity, work-life balance, etc. Pay and benefits are abysmal - all this from a Fortune 500 company. The Shaw Group would make an excellent Harvard Business Review case study on how not to run an F500 company. In the corporate office, senior management is only interested in lining pockets and typically doesn't understand the functions assigned (promotions are given on the basis of personal relationship rather than skill, knowledge or leadership ability...or how well-liked one is by the C-Suite. Not questioning the ethical or legal consequences of C-Suite whims and desires is a sure way to get promoted into the esteemed climes of Senior Management). HR is perhaps the most dysfunctional function in the entire company - absolutely no leadership, vision or knowledge of how a company (much less an F500 company) should manage human capital. Hopefully the new ownership sees the company and lack of skilled workforce for what it is and cleans house. If you are reading this as an employer considering hiring a Shaw employee, be careful if the candidate has been there for any length of time and considers themselves successful. Anyone who has built a career and climbed the ranks at Shaw has done so in a skullduggerous and vicious culture, and will likely not understand that such tactics typically don't bring success in the real world.

Advice to Management

From the top down (yes, the horrific culture started with the C Suite and is pervasive throughout the company, even down to the surly support staff), there is no leadership, that's the problem.

Shaw Group in Charlotte has been always going through waves of instability. If you are mentally very strong, this is a great place for you. You will never know who sits in the office the next day and you will never understand who is really in charge of what. Some of the policies cannot even be carried out despite HR's policy on the paper.Like other design companies, each engineering division has a chief. It is concerning that recently almost all the chiefs are from other companies, and they have no understanding of the nature of nuclear or fossil business, or engineering for that matter. One chief even doesn't have a college degree, using not only unprofessional language, but does not have a basic command of the English language, writing annual reviews that were full of typos. It isn't uncommon either that managers shout loudly at employees. Unhealthy culture spreads to the bottom level employees. If you stay in Charlotte office, most probably there has been no raise for three years. Huge number of engineers left the company and I am one of them. As time goes on, the company will eventually be run into the ground.

Advice to Management

The company is top heavy, with a culture towards frontline engineers that is dismissive at best. For an engineering company to recruit and retain talent, they must be treated as if they are valued by the company. Shaw had wave of hiring during the 08' crisis because they were the only one with contracts, but as the economy improves there has been an exodus of the most skilled workers.

I learned alot from several people that were also laidoff, bad decision.

Cons

Many, can't trust management, eliminated every female in middle management, the company has to "blame" someone if you don't win a bid, other members of the middle management did not stand up for their part in a lose, poor management decisions, everyone worried about having their job tomorrow.

Advice to Management

You are going to have some hard times ahead. Decisions are being made about those that are laidoff that are based on pinning it on someone. No team building effort or "we all missed it" together. Absolutely the worst management style I have ever seen.

Procurement management sets a poor example by coming in late and leaving early. Bullying appears to be justified if you refuse to involve yourself in gossip rather than staying to yourself and doing your job. Health insurance coverage is poor and expensive.

Advice to Management

None to offer other than what has already been posted by other employees.